UPDATE 10/21/2025! We are excited to share that on Saturday, October 25th, 2025, a community benefit is being held for the Cook & Wells Families! Our small-town community continues to show its strength and compassion as family and friends come together to support Laura and Bobby Cook, along with Brooklynn Wells, her parents Miranda...
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UPDATE 10/21/2025: Maryland State Police are investigating a crash that injured an 88-year-old woman after a vehicle struck a building this morning in Calvert County. The pedestrian, identified as an 88-year-old woman, was transported by ambulance to the University of Maryland Capital Regional Medical Center for treatment of her injuries. The driver of a Toyota...
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UPDATE: A Friday night gathering in Avenue, Maryland, led detectives with the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division (CID) to conduct a traffic stop in Leonardtown that resulted in the arrest of an 18-year-old and the recovery of a loaded “ghost gun.” According to court documents, CID detectives were conducting proactive enforcement...
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Upon the second anniversary of Daniel Lewis Edwards’ disappearance, the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office is renewing its call for the public’s assistance in locating him. Edwards was last seen on October 20, 2023, leaving a job site in the Town Creek neighborhood of California, Maryland. Investigators hope that someone with new or previously...
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The nation’s first responder community is getting a huge upgrade that will benefit public safety across the country. AT&T is launching FirstNet Fusion, which will allow every firefighter, police officer and EMT – no matter what cell phone service they use – to instantly talk, share video and coordinate during an emergency. FirstNet®, Built...
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On Saturday, October 18, 2025, at approximately 9:24 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the area of Hawthorne Road and Ripley Park Drive in La Plata, for the motor vehicle collision reported serious with entrapment. Dispatchers advised to all responding units they were receiving multiple conflicting reports of a vehicle overturned...
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On Saturday, October 18, 2025, at approximately 2:50 a.m., police, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel responded to the A&E Motel, located at 21647 Great Mills Road in Lexington Park, for a report of an assault or possible animal attack. Bystanders reported to First Responders that a black and white pit bull had attacked a...
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Two men from the same Mechanicsville address are facing separate criminal cases stemming from a single incident on October 10, 2025, that allegedly involved assault, animal cruelty, and property damage. Seth Walter Piaquadio, 26, of Mechanicsville, was arrested and charged with second-degree assault and resisting arrest following an altercation at his residence on Hills...
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Tony David Wald, 38, of Lexington Park, has been indicted in St. Mary’s County Circuit Court on multiple charges stemming from a violent domestic incident that occurred on January 30, 2024. An arrest warrant was issued the same day as the incident, but Wald was not taken into custody until October 4, 2025—more than...
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St. Mary’s County Animal Services announced today that they have “244 animals in their care and a waiting list of close to 3 dozen animals that are scheduled to be surrendered in the next week or so. We are drowning in critters and we NEED to move some of them out to adoptive homes.”...
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On October 15 at 10:10 p.m., patrol officers responded to the 6000 block of New Forest Court in Waldorf for the report of a shooting. When officers arrived, they located an adult male with a gunshot wound to the hip. He was transported to a hospital with injuries that are not life-threatening. The victim...
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Simeon Abiola, 31, of Hughesville, has been charged in the District Court for Calvert County with Threat of Mass Violence, Arson/Threat, and Malicious Destruction of Property after an incident at Calvert Health Hospital on October 2, 2025, according to court documents filed by the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office. Deputy McIntosh responded to the hospital...
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On October 8th, 2025, the Mount Vernon Police District in Fairfax County, VA, released the following information. They identified the suspect as Marko Puskas, 40, of no fixed address. Detectives from our Financial Crimes Unit uncovered a credit card skimming operation that targeted ATMs and payment devices inside stores across the Richmond Highway corridor,...
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SMNEWSNET.COM filed a Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA) request with the Maryland Department of Health seeking all food inspection reports from the past 12 months for Szechuan Garden, located at 11149 Mall Circle in Waldorf. Those records reveal a long pattern of violations and state enforcement actions culminating in an emergency suspension of the...
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State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling announced that Crosby Dawson, 42, of Leonardtown, Maryland, was sentenced to 65 years in prison with 35 years of active incarceration, ordered to lifetime sexual offender supervision, and required to register as a sex offender for life, for the sexual abuse and rape of a child. Following a multi-day jury...
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On Tuesday, October 14, 2025, at approximately 1:25 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the Nick’s of Clinton located at 3953 St Charles Parkway in Waldorf, for the reported motor vehicle collision involving the structure. 911 callers reported a vehicle struck the side of the building resulting in damage inside, with...
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Thomas Emanuel Gross, 39, of Lexington Park, was ordered held without bond following his arrest on felony and misdemeanor drug charges stemming from a search warrant executed earlier this year, according to court documents filed in the District Court for St. Mary’s County. Gross faces four charges: one felony count of possession with intent...
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UPDATE: Prior to publishing our recent article on transparency, SMNEWSNET.COM filed two formal complaints with the Maryland Office of the Public Access Ombudsman against the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office for withholding public information. The Ombudsman reviewed our complaints and found them valid for mediation — a process designed to resolve disputes through open...
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On Sunday, October 12, 2025, at approximately 7:15 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the 4000 block of Doncaster Drive in Indian Head, for the reported pedestrian struck by a vehicle. The 911 caller — identified as an adult female — told dispatchers that she and her husband had been involved...
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On Sunday, October 12, 2025, at approximately 6:25 p.m., firefighters from Bryans Road and surrounding fire departments responded to the 2600 block of Cannon Court in Bryans Road, for the reported garage on fire. 911 callers reported a fire started in the garage with the house being evacuated. Crews arrived on the scene to...
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UPDATE 10/10/2025: Maryland State Trooper Kelsey was driving in the area of the Elmer Brown Freedom Park, located at 21725 Tulagi Place, Lexington Park, MD when he observed an unconscious male laying in the street. The victim was found to have sustained an injury to the back of the head. Investigation revealed that De’aune...
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UPDATE 10/11/2025: Nearly a year after a young man was shot during a gathering in Hollywood, no one has been charged with firing the weapon. The case remains unresolved, and law enforcement has released no recent updates, even as gun violence continues to impact communities across St. Mary’s County. The shooting occurred on November...
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Magic Tunnel Car Wash is thrilled to announce the opening of its second location, bringing fast, reliable, and top-quality car washes to drivers throughout St. Mary’s County. Conveniently located along Three Notch Road, near popular shopping centers and restaurants, the new Magic Tunnel Car Wash is perfectly placed for locals and visitors looking for...
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10/9/2025: On Wednesday, October 8, 2025, at approximately 4:55 pm, patrol units from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to a motor vehicle collision with entrapment in the area of Sugar Hole Road and Old Trappe Lane in Bushwood. Due to the seriousness of the crash, the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office...
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The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office has released its Fiscal Year 2025 Annual Report, outlining achievements in public safety, enforcement, and community outreach over the past year. Sheriff Steve Hall said the report reflects “a year of real progress toward our mission of keeping St. Mary’s County safe and connected.” Public Safety and Enforcement...
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